Reading 6

"Homer, Ceramics, and Marketplace Anxieties" by Garth Clark was an interesting read on the history of the value of ceramics. From the high value of porcelain to the the arts and crafts movement, the idea of what a potter is has changed drastically from art to craft. In the 1920's, Bernard Leach promoted functional pottery as a craft to be sold to the community at an affordable price while other artists fought for it to be an art. 1950's the Otis Group fought for pottery to be recognized as an art. In so many ways, parts of those movements of pottery still exist today. Porcelain is seen as a delicate clay and is high art for pottery because of the material. Functional wares are desired to be affordable and aren't recognized fully as art. There may be art involved but most people recognize it as craft. The Otis Group I think had the biggest impact on today's value of pottery. Galleries are searching for ceramic sculptures and art, sculptures are priced to the value of the piece, not the medium. And most definitely the structure of universities has changed drastically in what is taught about ceramics, allowing students the freedom of students to produce their own work. There are still issues on universities teaching students to be studio potters but that is slowly improving as the population of ceramicists keeps growing. The main point I got out of this essay was how lucky I am that I have the skills to be a studio potter and the education to be a studio potter. That I can keep growing and know there is a market out there for the things I make, that I have to stay confident and create my art.